MacBook Pro gains Thunderbolt 5 SSD option with speeds close to built-in storage

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Thunderbolt 5 is still new to the market, but Apple has already brought the latest standard to its premium machines. Now, accessory maker Other World Computing (OWC) has unveiled new hardware that pushes the limits of this technology. Its latest portable enclosure, the OWC Express 1M2 80G, offers external SSD performance that comes close to matching the internal storage speeds of the MacBook Pro.

The enclosure has been built with professional creators in mind. Whether you are editing large video projects, working on multi-terabyte photo libraries, or running apps directly from external storage, this portable drive promises serious performance. It is bus-powered, connects via Thunderbolt 5, and is also fully compatible with Thunderbolt 4 and USB4. That makes it a flexible solution for both existing Macs and upcoming hardware.

At present, Thunderbolt 5 is limited to a handful of Apple devices, including the M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro, the M4 Pro Mac mini, and the latest Mac Studio. Even so, the enclosure works with most Macs in circulation today, as well as with PCs, iPad Pro, Chromebooks, and Microsoft Surface systems.

On the performance front, OWC is advertising real-world speeds above 6,000 MB/s. That puts the drive in the same range as Apple’s internal SSDs on the newest MacBook Pro models. Internal drives still hold the edge in most sequential transfer tests, but the Express 1M2 80G manages to keep up impressively well. In certain workflows, especially those involving random reads and writes, the external option can even deliver advantages over built-in storage.

The design also helps sustain high speeds over long sessions. The enclosure’s aluminium chassis doubles as a heat sink, preventing throttling without the need for fans. This means users can rely on consistent transfer rates whether they are offloading 8K video footage or handling large data backups.

For buyers, there are two routes. The enclosure itself costs $219, with support for NVMe M.2 SSDs up to 8TB. Alternatively, OWC is selling pre-configured models, starting at $349 for 1TB and going up to $1,299 for 8TB.

With Thunderbolt 5 adoption still in its early phase, the Express 1M2 80G is a forward-looking option that offers near-internal storage performance in a portable package. For professionals who need fast, reliable, and versatile storage, it is one of the most compelling solutions yet.